


Heavensent

by OverexcitedSoul



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angel Handsome Jack, Fallen angel? I guess?, M/M, Rhys gets hurt at one point but it’s fine, angel au, rhack overthrows god with the power of love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:54:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25725436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverexcitedSoul/pseuds/OverexcitedSoul
Summary: When the archangel John is sent to guide a wayward human back to the right path, he changes.When Jack goes to see the human, he finds something angels aren't allowed to have. What is he willing to do to hold onto love?
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	Heavensent

**Author's Note:**

> Wanted to do something for AUgust and the **angel** /demon prompt spoke to me. Love y'all doing demon Jack but also: angel Jack hot.  
> Felt kinda weird writing this since I was raised religious lmao, don't take that aspect too serious. I just enjoy the concept of angels. Also I'm garbo at writing summaries.  
> also CHECK [THIS ART](https://twitter.com/cosmodebriss/status/1298355027434758146?s=20) ITS BEAUTIFUL

Angels. The way the humans saw it, they were fragile little messengers. John always laughed at that. The depictions of winged babies and beautiful women, bah. 

That was nothing like John.

John was a warrior. He was an archangel, with a halo to be envied and six powerful wings. His strength earned him eons of the Lord’s favor. He delivered pain, death, and righteous judgement. And he loved every second of it.

What he could do without though, is the humans. He never understood them, never bothered trying. Why should he, when he was the perfect creation and they were beneath him?

So why was this human different?

It started as a typical boring job, these days there weren’t many holy wars or anything like that. Just some sinner whose soul he was supposed to save or whatever. A stupid human who couldn’t recognize the gift he was given.

They met the first time when the sinner was down on his luck indulging in the vice of alcohol. John entered the bar in a human disguise, his true form would only bring chaos. Only humans near their death would be able to see it. He dutifully pulled up a stool next to the sinner.

“Hey kiddo, why so glum?” John asked, false interest in his voice. The issues of Earth were beneath him. He only needed to offer guidance.

The sinner visibly grimaced, rubbing at his face. “I don’t look that young, do I? My friends tell me I have a baby face but ‘kiddo’ seems a bit…” His lips formed into a pout.

“Eh, don’t take it personally.” In John’s eyes human lives were too short anyway. “You’re avoiding my question. I can see you moping from miles away, and who better to lend an ear than some random stranger at the bar, right?” He smiled, teeth barred _perfect and white._

The sinner groaned, dropping his face onto the bar counter. “It’s that obvious?”

He talked for a while, John barely listening to whatever petty problems this sinner had. He just needed to listen enough to do his job, and then he could get on with his life. He waited for the sinner to finish his tale before interjecting.

“You know, when I find it hard to find direction I like to keep faith. And yeah, sounds cheesy, whatever. It’s nice to think that there’s someone out there looking out for us though.” That usually worked, a little listening, a little push, and a little charm. He didn’t bother working as hard as the other angels on humans. He was above it. 

This sinner visibly stiffened.

“I’m not… unaware of religion. I get what it means to people. I just don’t understand though. Some all powerful higher being that needs others to do its work? That lets people suffer? That demands our love or sends us to eternal damnation?” He chuckled, swirling his drink glass. “Doesn’t that seem a little unfair?”

John grinned at the qualms of the lower being. “Maybe from the perspective of humans.”

The sinner waved him off. “Sure, sure. The plan or whatever. But I, well, I’ve lost some people who are very dear to me. And it’s not like I’m directly going against the rules of religion. I haven’t done anything particularly wrong, and they were just taken out of nowhere. When I think about the people who actually… devote their lives to that kind of thing and still go through this? Well, it’s just hard to keep faith knowing even the ones who give the most are still punished.”

That... had actually made John pause. Wasn’t he one of the Lord’s faithful? One who sacrificed? He thought then, of his past. The wars he fought, the pain he suffered. The friends he thought he had who had fallen, unloved and discarded by the Lord. Of Angel. What _he_ did to _her_ for his devotion.

It felt like something suddenly clicked in his head. Something that had been there this whole time, a puzzle waiting for the final piece. He felt stupid, like he had been blinded by his devotion this whole time only to be stabbed in the back by the one who trusted the most.

John stood, nearly knocking over the bar stool. “I have to go. I have some things to think about.”

“Wait, what? You’re kidding, right? You can’t seriously tell me you never thought about that before.” The sinner- the human, reached out and grabbed his arm.

They met eyes. Creamy brown looking into John’s blue and green ones. John didn’t understand this human. Why his words specifically had made him realize how he was _used._ He looked deep into his eyes, his soul, and he saw something he didn’t expect to find when he was sent on this job. He saw an understanding. A connection. Whatever was different about this human, it resonated with John’s very being.

“At least tell me your name?” The human pleaded. The way he said it, John wondered if he had felt it too.

“It-” He stopped, not daring to give a human his heavenly name. “Jack. You can call me Jack.”

A gentle smile was given in response, the human letting go of his arm. “I’m Rhys.”

-

Rhys and ‘Jack’ met up more after that. There was never any designated meeting time or place, but the angel felt himself repeatedly drawn to the human. To not be John, the loyal servant, but _Jack._ Jack could be whoever he wanted to be. And the human always welcomed him with open arms.

He kept up his facade as they met time and time again. Simply enjoying each other’s company, going out to eat, watching human entertainment. Slowly moving to spending more time at the human’s apartment, inching ever closer. Then one night, Rhys kissed him. And Jack kissed back.

Angels could not fall in love with humans. They were meant to love humans of course, but they weren’t supposed to have the capacity for romantic love. Nor for singular love, other than for the Lord.

But when he dragged Rhys back to the bedroom, Jack knew he couldn’t be John anymore.

-

Jack began planning. Still putting up the act of good little John for the rest of the mindless followers, put he knew he had to do something. He just needed more time.

That time was soon cut short.

One of the angel’s duties was guiding human souls after they passed. He was given his list, and a name among the scheduled deaths stuck out.

_Rhys Strongfork._

He felt a great wrath welling within him. It couldn’t be real. He couldn’t let this happen, he couldn’t let their time together end.

Jack spread out all six of his wings, descending to Earth as quickly as possible. He couldn’t let this happen. He _couldn’t._ Consequences be damned, he was going to save Rhys.

-

It was chaos when he arrived. Destroyed cars littered the road, some of them smoking or on fire. There was screaming and sirens ringing out from every direction. He didn't care about any of it though. Whether other humans suffered didn't matter to him, there was only one he was looking for.

He focused his energy in on Rhys, on his soul, searching for the human. **“Rhys!”** He cried out, his voice booming with the heavenly power of his true form.

“Jack?” It was hardly a whisper how quiet the man’s voice was. A mortal wouldn’t have even heard it. The pain clear in it distressed the angel.

Jack immediately rushed to the source of that voice, horrified in what he saw. His lover lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood. His right arm was horribly mangled, past the point of recovery. There was a piece of shrapnel jutting out of his left eye. “Rhysie, baby…” Jack cradled the man in his lap, curling his wings protectively around the two of them.

Rhys gasped weakly seeing the other man. He shakily lifted his uninjured hand up to stroke one of Jack’s wings. “You’re beautiful.”

Jack could almost laugh if he wasn’t dangerously close to crying. _That’s what Rhys was focusing on?_ “Yeah and you’re _dying_ so shut up for a second, idiot!” He grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.

So. There would be no going back after this. He knew that. This would be majorly breaking the rules, he would have to rush all his plans that he didn’t even know if they would work. He could lose everything. He could-

Rhys squeezed his hand, and smiled. “It’s alright Jack.” His voice was weak. “I’ll be fine.” He was lying.

Jack took a deep breath, and pressed his forehead against his lover’s. “Yeah. Yeah, you will.”

And in that moment, Jack performed a miracle. Not because he was ordered to. Not because it was the will of some higher being. 

But because he wasn’t going to let his love die **_goddammit._**

Light enveloped both of them, lifting Rhys out of Jack’s arms. He stood back and watched as a golden glow weaved throughout the veins of Rhys’ destroyed limb. The glow grew, reforming and taking over the broken skin until all the entire arm was replaced with gold. It continued its work, the shrapnel pushed out of his eye as any cut or bruise was repaired with that same gold. Jack was reminded of that bowl repair art Rhys had shown him once as he watched with bated breath.

Then Rhys’ left eye turned bright blue, a light emanating from it that grew rapidly until it enveloped him in a flash. 

The light left as quickly as it came and then there was Rhys, back on his feet. Giving Jack his signature goofy smile. “Holy shit.”

Jack tilted his head back in uproarious laughter, having to wipe a tear from his eye before he spoke, “Yeah, holy shit.”

“You..?” Rhys’ eyes darted between the wings, the light that formed his halo, and Jack’s face.

“Me.” Jack extended his wings, a sudden nervousness in his gut at showing Rhys his true form.

That nervousness only lasted a second as Rhys cupped his face and kissed him like his life depended on it, and for all he knew it did. That didn’t matter though. Jack pushed back and it was like reverie, like the only thing worth worshiping was each other. The love they shared right here in this moment.

And it was glorious.

-

Word carries quickly in heaven. A missing soul plus the absence of the Lord’s favorite archangel, two and two was put together. 

It wasn’t long after that, the fighting started.

Hordes of demons and fallen came after the gates of heaven all led by John, or Jack as he went by now, and his pure white wings.

When an angel was cast aside and became fallen, their wings became black and their halos were broken by force. But Jack’s untouched visage proved that he had chosen this, to throw aside everything he ever knew. No one could figure out why.

Always by his side was his second-in-command. A man with blue and brown eyes and a golden arm, believed to be a demon. No one ever saw him fight, but anyone who threatened him was killed by Jack himself. Many were ripped to shreds with a brutality learned from fighting in countless wars.

Jack fought with a ferocity no one had seen before. Those who survived seeing battles he participated in said he seemed desperate, like a caged animal struggling for survival. He was easily able to charm and sway others to his side, slowly whittling away at heaven’s defenses with an effectiveness no one ever expected.

The only minor victory was won when the archangel Lilith managed to break Jack’s halo. His howls of pain were heard everywhere, and were practically etched into every immortal creature’s soul. 

Jack went missing for a little after that. His second-in-command took full charge, and despite being down their best fighter they managed to keep the pressure up without losing any ground. Many speculated that the mystery man had a great hand in their victories so far.

But Jack came back, a broken halo and a scar upon his face. His revenge was swift, his resolve renewed.

It wasn’t long after that till Jack was face to face with the one he once followed with a blind devotion, with love. But he had found a new devotion, new love. And he wouldn’t even let God get in the way of that.

-

Jack sat on the throne of heaven, Rhys perched in his lap. 

Once the big guy was out of the picture, it was surprisingly easy to get the rest of the angels in line. Under his iron fist he’d even brought in an era of peace between them and the demons, something previously thought impossible. 

He was still figuring out what to do about Earth now that he was in charge, but that wasn’t his priority right now. 

Right now, celebration was in order.

Rhys ran his hands over Jack’s chest, leaning in so his hot breath tickled against his ear. “We did it handsome.”

Jack hummed contently, folding in his wings over them. “We sure did, kiddo.”

Rhys pouted, that same adorable pout he made when they first met years ago. Rhys had stopped aging after the miracle. Jack suspected he wasn’t really human anymore, but the semantics didn’t matter to them. They were the only thing that mattered, after all. “I thought I told you to stop calling me that.” Rhys whined.

“Couldn’t resist.” Jack pushed back his lover’s hair, cupping his cheek in his hands. 

Rhys leaned into the touch with a sigh, gently mouthing at the angel’s battle hardened hand. 

Jack gave a shaky chuckle as he barely restrained himself from pouncing on the man, any angelic sensibilities he had lost long ago. Instead he pulled him in for a kiss, feeling their shared adoration for each other in every point of contact.

He pulled away, grinning as he wrapped his arms around Rhys’s waist and flapped his wings out in an impressive display. “We’re gonna rule the whole universe babe.” He flew up, holding his love in his arms and laughing as he overlooked his kingdom. “You and me! Rhys and **_Handsome goddamn Jack!”_**

**Author's Note:**

> Love me a good happy ending for my boys, hope y'all don't think I'm cheap for doing a callback to episode 4 ending lmao. I thought about writing more but I wanted to keep this a one-shot and not just in my wips forever. Any suggestions for improvements? Leave a comment :)
> 
> Follow me at [Iloverhysborderlands](https://iloverhysborderlands.tumblr.com/) or on twitter [Souliex](https://twitter.com/thesouliex)


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